An Alchemist's Dream
by The Lonely Echo
Summary: In an attempt to get Itachi's attention, Sasuke kills Sakura. Pulling her from her own world, The Gate throws Sakura into the world of Amestris. Watch as Sakura grows, loves, and becomes of use. ADOPTED BY.. SUNSHINESKETCH..
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first EVER FMA fanfic! I don't really know the storyline so pleeeeaaaase bare with me! Sorry if my chapters are too short or aren't really understandable, I'm trying to fix that! Anyways, this is most definitely an EdSaku fic so if you don't roll that way, spare me of the flames. I also warn you of some OOCness, I'm not familiar with the FMA character's feelings or personalities. Please enjoy! PS: I don't own Naruto or FMA. I wont repeat this so try not to forget it! XD**

_Konoha~_

Sakura's hand clenched tighter into the material of her red dress. Her once long luxurious pink hair now only swayed slightly in the breeze. Her body was covered in bruises and cuts from the Forest of Death. Her head was still swollen from Zaku's relentless hits as she shielded the two Team 7 males. All she had done for the boy... useless.

"B-but Sasuke-kun! I love you! You can't leave me here!" Her fisted hand reached out to grab the thin fabric of his mesh shirt, but she grasped nothing. Tears started to fill her eyes yet again. "Sasuke-kun..."

That was when she felt the flat side of a kunai pressed against her collarbone. Its sharp edge dug tauntingly into the skin above her jugular vein. Her tears fell even faster than before.

"Love." Sasuke spat in disgust. "There is no love in the Shinobi World. Only life and death." He went silent, his grip on the murderous kunai tightening as he grew deeper in thought. "If I killed you now... Itachi would surely hear news of this. Then, he would come out and fight me for real." The expression on Sasuke's face was one of insanity, making its way deeper into the cracks of his mind.

Sakura held back a scream of pain as Sasuke slit her throat. He watched her dieing body slump to the ground, an uncaring glaze in his eyes. The cold cobblestone underneath her head was slowly being painted in her blood. All Sasuke did was smirk.

"Thank you... for being my bait." That was when he left, paying no mind to his pink-haired teammate's last feeble gasps for breath. Blood flooded out her mouth as she tried desperately to stop the bleeding. Slowly, her movements began to get sluggish and shakey as more and more blood gushed from the wound her crush bestowed upon her. A puddle of crimson liquid pooled beneath her head, the last evidence of her life once lived.

_The Gate~ _

Sakura squirmed in what could only be described as discomfort. There was pain all over her body, as if she was being rubbed with sandpaper. She didn't dare open her eyes. Even beneath her thin eyelids, the light was scolding.

Her forehead was slick with perspiration and her body was wracked with pain. It wasn't just pain on the outside, but also on the inside. It felt as if she was being ripped apart and then sewn crudely back together. To say that she was hurt was an understatement. The strongest pain that she felt wasn't physical but emotional. Sasuke's actions brought underlying hate for falling in love with a prick like him.

A voice wafted through the air, almost as if it itself was a gust of wind. The tone was that of a man, a deep monotone ring to it. Its words could hardly be heard by Sakura, but she was able to understand them.

"Shh... Quiet. Your passage into the world of Amestris must be a silent one." The mysterious figure that spoke covered Sakura's lips with his hand, slipping into thought. His voice was soft yet sharp, like the tinkling of broken glass. "Your death was not planned to be so early in time. I had to resort in taking you out of that world." Sakura squeezed her shut eyes tighter, trying to drown out the vivid memories of her death.

"You will live as a different person; though you will still look the same you will feel different. Perhaps your personality will be affected as well..." The voice trailed off, being interupted by screams of pain and agony. "It seems it is time for you to go. Good luck... Sakura Haruno."

Before she slipped into the darkness for good, she opened her eyes. Her last glimpse of the pure white world was the of scrambling black hands engulfing her body. The man that she had heard was gone. She passed out.

_Dublith~_

The sun lazily rose past the horizon, bathing the city of Dublith in yellow. A low fog drifted through the streets, scarce enough to cause no problems. The entire town was quiet, besides the chirping of birds and drip of water from gutters. A terrible storm had passed the night before, drenching Dublith with a few inches of rain.

In the alleyways, a small figure lay nearly unmoving. Her breath was shallow and her pulse was low. She could very easily be mistaken for dead if it weren't for the fact her bright honeydew green eyes were wide open. Yes, Sakura was absolutely sure she wasn't dreaming. On the other hand, she really didn't know where she was.

Pulling at the knots in her mid-neck length hair, she sat up. Her red kunochi dress was wrinkled where she layed heavily on it and her ninja headband was no where in sight. Her feet were wet and cold, reminding her painfully that she wasn't at home. Heck, just by looking at the buildings beside the alley she was in, she could tell she wasn't even in KONOHA.

Her fingers grazed the long slice on her neck, careful not to break open the already scabbing wound. It was a mystery to her how she had healed so fast, but it wasn't like she was complaining. She was lucky to be alive. Sasuke had shown her the way the Shinobi World worked. Either you kill or be killed. She would go to another world anyday to get away from such a lifestyle.

Pushing her body up and steadying her stature, Sakura slowly made her way out of the alleyway. Before her blue ninja sandal landed out of the alley, a hand grasped her shoulder. By the size, she could tell it was a man's hand. It was also rough from what seemed like years of hard labor. Twisting her neck so she could see the man, she almost puked when she saw his lust-filled smirk.

She was disgusted by the man. Absolutely revolted.

"Hey babe, where'ya goin'?" He stuttered, obviously drunk out of his mind. His breath was rank with the smell of strong liquor and beer. A stubble was growing on his chin, the black hue matching his greasy oily hair exactly. She didn't understand a bit of what the man was saying but by the tone of his voice she probably didn't want to know.

Sakura shivered, trying to pry the man's large hand from her petite shoulders. The man was relentless, increasing his grip on her shoulder till she could feel bruises starting to form. His grin, if it wasn't so before, turned completely crazy. His dark blue eyes were filled with lust. She inwardly gagged.

If he wasn't going to let go, she would have to try and force him. She knew she was weak, but this man was only a civillian. She could surely beat him in a battle, right? Right?

**'Good luck, Outer! Make sure we don't get raped! Woo!'**

_'Ehh... Inner? When did you get back?'_

**'I've been here for a while, you just didn't need me till now.'**

_'True...'_

**'So how are you gonna bust this fool's head in half?'** Inner questioned. She herself didn't know what to do. She hadn't ever been in that type of situation before so how did she deal with it? Sakura reached for the kunai pouch on her thigh.

It wasn't even strapped to her leg.

Her plan exploded into fiery death. How the HELL was she supposed to fight without her kunai? Clenching her hands into fists, she ripped her shoulder from his grip and punched him in the gut. Her knuckles gave a sickening snap, but she refused to cry in pain. With her left hand this time, she punched him in the jaw.

The man staggered, cluching his abdomen and wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. His cheek was starting to swell from where she punched him. He didn't seem as menacing as he did before.

"P-please j-just let me go! I w-won't mess with you, I swear!" With that said, the man reluctently ran in the other direction. Sakura grabbed her broken hand and cursed. The skin above her knuckles was split and the white hue of her bone was showing. Blood was smeared on the skin around the wound.

Ripping off a portion of her dress, she wrapped her injured hand in the red fabric. She placed her hand at her hip and limped into the street. Her legs began to feel heavy once again and she slipped into unconciousness.

**How was this for starters? Yeah, even if you hated it please review! I won't get any better if I don't know what I'm doing wrong!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, so this is chapter two! I'm getting slightly confused on the storyline so if something is out of place, I'd appreciate a review on how things really should be. I just don't want a review that says 'This story sucks! Everything is wrong! Luv you!~ ;D' Lol! Yeah, so if you have to say something, make sure it is meaningful. Anyways, if I keep blabbing on your going to get extremely bored so enjoy the second chapter!**

_Dublin Hospital~ (If there is one.. :D)_

Her body felt so sore, as if she had run a marathon. She had barely enough energy to open her eyelids. Her hair was tangled and her cheeks were streaked with dirt. She felt like shit, no, she felt like explosive shit.

The pain in her hand was dull compared to the ache in her head. Every sound around her was intensified to the point of which she nearly screamed. She didn't want to be awake. She wanted to be asleep and oblivious to what was going on around her.

Cracking one eye open, Sakura rolled onto her stomach. Her arms were spread over a pure white pillow, her body nestled underneath pure white sheets. Pure white curtains hung over windows in a pure white wall. There wasn't a single decoration in site, making the room seem really plain.

_'Wait... what the hell!' _ She would have bolted upright if it wasn't for the pain in her head. Pulling herself up with her uninjured hand, she examined where she was. Before she had passed out, she was walking out of the alley. She didn't remember much besides the hard surface of the ground.

She rubbed her aching cheek soothingly. If she wasn't in the alleyway anymore, then where was she? It seemed like she was questioning her location more and more every minute. If it weren't for her Inner's presence, she may go insane.

**'Hell yeah! Without me, you'd be a goner!'**

_'Inner, PLEASE! You know how fucking terrible my head hurts. The white everywhere doesn't help much.'_

**'Sorry Outer. By the way, you might wanna stop talking to yourself. Someone is coming.'**

_'I'm not talking to myself, I'm talking to you.'_

**'I'm practically you, so shut up. They're getting clos- Ooh! The door's opening!'**

Sakura quickly closed her eyes, hoping to feign sleep. Her heart beat rapidly, sending the monitor next to her flying off the charts. Inside her mind, she cursed her inability to control her own heartbeat.

"Hmm... It seems as though she is doing alright. Her head took most of the blow, which could have been fatal, but she seems to have been pulling through. The only concerning thing is her heartbeat, it's eratic..." Sakura started to freak out.

_'Once again, I have NO idea what the HELL anybody is talking about! Kami, this really pisses me off!'_

**'Oh Kami. This really sucks huh?'**

"So, Miss Izumi, how did you come across this little girl. Despite her broken hand, she seems perfectly fine from what I can tell." Sakura listened in carefully, trying to detect anything even close to her language. So far, nothing of the sort came out.

"I was on my way home from the market when I tripped over her body in my street. My damn potatoes got bruised." The woman continued to mutter about her abused potatoes as the nurse processed what she had said.

Sakura rubbed her tightly closed eyes. She couldn't stand pretending to sleep anymore. If she was going to figure out even one damn thing about where she was, she was going to have to get the information herself.

Sitting up in the thin hospital bed, Sakura gave her most charming smile yet. Her head still ached something terrible, but she persevered.

_"Kon'nichiwa anata wa daredesu ka? Watashi wa Haruno Sakura." _Both women gave her a confused stare. She decided to try something else. _'Koko wa dokodesu ka? Naze watashi wa koko ni iru?"_ Still, she got no answer. Giving up, she placed her hands in her lap and hung her head.

The woman, Izumi, walked up to the girl. Sliding a chair up to the foot of the hospital bes, she pointed a long slender finger to herself.

"Izumi."

Sakura blinked. The lady, her name was Izumi? Sakura tested it on her tongue, not saying it aloud. _Izumi. Izumi. Izumi. _She brought a finger of her left hand up to her chest.

"Sakura."

Izumi nodded, wondering what to do next. Using her other hand to point at her other, she showed Sakura her hand.

"Hand."

_"Te."_

They were making progress. Sakura began to feel giddy with excitement. She saw Izumi point to her own arm, directing Sakura to do the same.

"Arm."

_"Amu."_

"Shoulder."

_"Kata."_

"Neck."

_"Kubi."_

"Head."

_"Atama."_

The two went on for hours, naming their body parts, items in the room, colors, animals, and everything that could be thought of. The nurse had left early in the day, giving the two privacy as they spoke. Learning another language was hard for both of them, especially when they didn't know if they had heard something wrong.

The last light of day slowly burned out, basking the town of Dublith in shadows. The wind around the hospital whistled through the cracked windows. The noise itself may have been annoying, but the two girls were so wrapped up in their lesson they didn't even notice the changing from night to day.

Sakura, gradually, began to understand what Izumi was saying. She could understand some of the normal words in the foreign language, but her sentence structure was a little iffy some times.

"I h-have go to market."

"Close, I have _to_ go to _the _market."

The pinkette wrung her hands, careful not to to put pressure on her bummed right hand. Her light hued brows furrowed as she concentrated harder at the task at hand. Her tongue was starting to get used to forming words in a different way.

"I have t-to go to t-the market."

"Excellent! Once more!"

"I have to go to the market!"

"Amazing!" Izumi praised, brushing some of her light brown hair out of her face. "I've never seen anyone learn the basics of a language so quick in my entire life. Speaking of languages, I've never heard of the one you were saying, where are you from?"

Sakura's pale green eyes widened in horror. Once again, she was at a dead end.

"U-ummm... I'm n-not exactly s-sure.. I can't r-remember.." Sakura squeezed the tips of her fingers, frightened that the woman wouldn't believe her. She didn't know how Izumi would react if she told her that she was from a different world. She didn't look forward to spending the night in an insane asylum.

Izumi put a finger to her chin, her eyes turning hard and glazing over. Sakura wasn't completely sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Hmm... sounds a little bit like a minor case of amnesia..." Her hand rested under her chin. "It is confusing, really, but maybe you took a blow to the head while you were in the street..?" Sakura frowned.

She didn't like lying to people, especially if they had done something for her. She ran a clammy hand through her pink hair. Her body still smelt like stale blood from Sasuke's attack.

"Come on," Izumi grabbed Sakura's good hand and pulled her up. "Until you remember where you're from, I'll keep you at my home." Even though Sakura could understand the language Izumi was speaking at a minimum, at the pace Izumi was talking, she could barely comprehend what she meant.

"Ehh..?"

**'Just go with the flow Outer! Everything works out if you stay neutral!'**

_'Inner..? What? Go with the flow?'_

**'Cha!'**

Sakura sweat-dropped, allowing herself to be pulled out of the hospital. All that white scenery was starting to get to her head. As they exited the hospital, Sakura had to give herself some time for her eyes to ajust. Unlike the brightly lit hospital, it was pitch black outside.

Izumi sighed, scratching the back of her head in embarrasment. Her lips formed a sheepish smile, thinking about her husband. He hadn't known where she had gone; he didn't even know she had left the house. She had run out of potatoes for the stew she was making and snuck out to buy some without his consent.

Sakura stretched her legs with a sigh of relief. As a ninja, by sitting idle for so long, the muscles in the calfs and thighs got cramped easily. Her arms were sore from throwing punches, but she doubted it would still pain her by the next day.

She stared disgusted at her dress. The hem was ripped from when she took a slice for her broken hand and it was caked with spilled blood. Izumi didn't seem to noticed how blood-soaked she was, and if she did, she didn't complain about it out loud. Sakura knew she needed some new clothes, but she didn't know the currency for the world she was it. It was most likely that it wasn't yen.

As then neared a small shop with a hanging sign, Sakura tried her best to straighten her wrinkled dress. If Izumi had company, she would look like a disaster. Just her rotten luck, Izumi did have people over. Two people. Two teenage people, if her eyes were right. Her self-confidence went down the drain.

Izumi seemed to sense her distress. They hadn't opened the door to the shop yet, so Izumi turned to Sakura. Her brown eyes gazed knowingly into Sakura's own eyes. Sakura squirmed underneath her gaze, trying to seem smaller than she actually was.

"As I walk in, run to the left and go into the first room at the right. You'll find a bathroom and some clothing in there. Try not to take too much time in there, we're having stew for dinner." With a final sigh, Izumi pushed herself through the doorway.

Sakura followed behind her silently, like a ninja (lol), and raced past her to the bathroom. She was so quick, none of Izumi's guests even saw a glimpse of her. Izumi herself was impressed by her speed.

Once she closed the door behind her, she stripped herself of her soiled clothing. Her chest wrappings were also dirty, but she didn't even care. As she began to discard of her clothes even further, she made a discovery. She DID have her kunai pouch, just not where she had thought it was. On her left thigh, not her right. Sakura would have face-palmed, but she had better things to do.

She was thankful that the world of Amestris had running water. Filling up the bathtub with warm soapy water, Sakura sank gratefully into the tub. As soon as she entered the tub, she got to work scrubbing off all the sand and blood from her limbs. She was surprised even the nurse didn't see the large blood stain on her dress collar, wasn't that what they were trained for?

She let the matter go, enjoying the short time she had alone with her thoughts.

**'I guess you forgot about little ol' me, huh?'**

Let me rephrase that. She let the matter go, enjoying her time alone with her thoughts and Inner Sakura.

**'That's better.'**

_'Inner, what the hell are we doing? Things just seem to be going by so fast, it's crazy!'_

**'That's what you get when you fall in love with Chicken-Butt murderers...'**

_'...'_

**'Oops, forgot that was a soft spot. I'll go now.'**

Inner Sakura retreated to her respective corner of Sakura's mind, giving her time to think to herself. She didn't think Sasuke of all people would ever attempt to kill her. Neji Hyuuga, maybe. Rock Lee, with a hug no less. Kiba Inuzuna, probably not; she never really talked to him. Gaara, hell yeah. But Sasuke! It surprised her that he would do such a thing.

Sighing, Sakura lifted herself from the cooling water and rinsed herself off. She grabbed a soft fluffy black towel from a rack next to the tub and dried herself off. Her hair hung limp at her shoulders, wet from her bath. Grabbing the clothes from the top of the toliet tank, Sakura pulled on her undergarments. She fished in her kunai pocket, pulling out bandages, a hair-tie, and two sebon.

She wrapped her limited sized chest with the bandages first from under her arms to under her bust. Tightening it till it wouldn't come loose, she looked at the clothes she was going to wear. A long sleeved black shirt with one off-the-shoulder sleeve, black boy shorts that went down to her knees, and a pink beaded necklace lay in front of her. Shrugging, Sakura got dressed in the strange attire and re-wrapped the bandages around her hand.

She glanced at her hair, brush in left hand. She brushed her hair until it was free of knots and pulled it into a bun. Her chin-length bangs still hung beside her face, but she didn't mind. She put the two sebon into the bun in a chinese style, a little bit of her old culture to take care of her homesickness. She slipped back on her blue ninja sandals and put her dirty clothes into a pile.

Feeling refreshed for once since she landed in the strange world, she headed into the kitchen Izumi had slipped into. Before she even opened the door, she heard banging and yelling from the other side.

"Kami help me..."

She grabbed the knob and cracked the door open. What she saw would have been humorous had it not been the fact for Izumi's hell-bent expression. A blond boy with a braid sat on the wood tatami floor, rubbing his head in pain. Another boy, as it seemed from outside the armor, had his hands out in a pleading manor, asking Izumi for forgiveness.

Sakura pushed herself into the room, careful not to make a sound. She didn't want to disrupt the conversation the trio was having. Instead, she sat cross-legged in the corner of the room, holding her injured hand so she didn't snap any of her set knuckles.

"I **TOLD** you IDIOTS **NOT **to use Human Transmutation, and what did you do! You did it! Now you are missing an arm and a leg and Al is missing his whole body! How stupid can you both get!" Izumi stopped her rant, grabbing the bridge of her nose. "Listen, get seated at the bar, I have a guest over and I don't want you screwing things up."

At this, Sakura scooted closer to the corner, blending in with the shadows. Her black clothes helped her blend, yet her hair didn't change her ability to hide. She placed her left hand under her chin, her right in her lap.

"But teacher! I don't see any guests here!" Alphonse nodded, agreeing with his older brother. Izumi smirked, her teeth glinting in a taunting way. "Then I taught you nothing. She is actually in this room right now."

Sakura took this as her que to stand, so she did just that. She felt the two siblings eyes on her, so she started to shiver underneath their gaze. Edward's eyebrow rose to his hairline, a frown on his lips.

"She doesn't seem like much of a guest. I mean, who has pink hair." Sakura bit her lip, trying to forget the memories from Konoha such a statement had brought back to her. One of her sharp teeth punctured her fragile skin on her lips, drawing blood into her mouth and down her chin.

She was surprised by her emotions. She didn't feel like running and crying, she felt like beating the living shit out of the short blonde. She had to restrain herself from doing so. Perhaps it was an affect from switching worlds? That man did say she would be a different person.

_'He also said I wasn't supposed to die so early. What did I do to screw up my destiny?'_

**'It could be that emo bastard you liked. Apparently he wasn't supposed to kill you.'**

_'You're right... I just don't want to believe it...'_

Her bright green eyes narrowed, zeroing in on the lone blonde's figure. Clenching her fists, she ran up and kicked him in the side. She expected him to just fall over in pain, but that wasn't the case.

His whole body went flying into the wall beside him, leaving a miniscule crack in the plaster. A loud bang erupted from his impact from the wall as he slid down. Sakura winced.

"Ah... Sorry." Izumi took one look at Edward and busted out into laughter. Her eyes were starting to water as she clutched her sides. Sakura tried not to notice a tinge of blood on her lips.

_'So she has been coughing blood..'_ Sakura thought silently to herself. She would question the woman about it on a later date, right now she had to deal with a little blonde gnome blowing his top about her kicking him.

"Who the **HELL** do you think you are, pinky!" Edward screeched from his position on the floor. Sakura twitched, a small 'tic' mark on her head. She slowly turned her head around to view him, her eyes glaring daggers.

"P-pinky!"

"Yeah, pinky! I'm talking to you!" Sakura let out a small breath. She didn't know who she was anymore. She was used to the feelings of pain or misery whenever she was called pinky, yet she had this burning passion to bust this boy's face in when he said it.

_'He's different..'_

**'Well, duh! The only person with that long of hair I've ever seen is Neji or Ino, and Ino is a girl!'**

_'T-that's true.'_

Sakura struggled to keep her giggles in check but they escaped anyways. She covered her mouth with her broken hand, trying to stop laughing. Edward didn't seem to be too pleased by tha fact that she was laughing at him.

"Dinner's done!" A gruff voice annouced form the kitchen. Out through a thin passageway came a man in what seemed like his 40's. He had black hair cropped short and a slight gut to him. He was still a sort of attractive man, if you liked older men.

"Ah Sig, It's great to see you!" Izumi cooed, snuggling into his chest. The man chucked, pulling her into an embrace with one arm while carrying a large pot with the other. Inner Sakura blanched.

**'That dude must have some KILLER muscles to be able to hold that with one hand!'**

Sakura inwardly agreed. Ed seemed to change moods like a schizophrenic, jumping up with wide smile on his face. His golden eyes sparkled with what seemed like delight. His expression reminded her painfully of Naruto.

_'Oh Naruto... why was I ever mean to you?' _

"Oooh! Is that stew!" He asked, almost to the point in which he jumped up and down. When Sig nodded to him, he raised both arms in the arms and yelled, 'Hell yes!' Al, the guy in the armor (No I didn't forget about him), patted his brother on the back and followed him into the kitchen.

Sakura just 'went with the flow' and went in the kitchen too. There was a bar with many stools next to it. Underneath it in bright display lights were choice-cut pieces of meat, or at least that was what the sign said. Not that she was questioning Izumi and Sig or anything.

Only one stool was left, and that was to the left of Edward. Sakura reluctantly sat in the stool, resting her head on her crossed arms. A bowl of steaming stew was placed in front of her. She raised the shiny spoon in wonder, looking at her reflection in the silverware.

She felt Edward and Al watching her curious examinations but put it aside. She had to figure out how to use this 'spoon' or she was toast. They would know for sure that she wasn't from there if she couldn't even use their eating utensils. Dipping the spoon in the broth, she took a little sip. A smile found it's way to her lips.

"It is delicious. Thank you Izumi, Sig." Both adults gave her a wink. Throughout dinner, nobody even noticed a certain vegetable was missing from the stew.

"Sakura, I have an extra guest room upstairs if you need a place to stay for the night." Sakura beamed with happiness. She wouldn't be forced to sleep in the streets like she had apparently the 'night' before. Taking Izumi up on her offer, Sakura trudged up the stairs wearily and landed on the bed.

She carefully took the sebon out of her bun, making sure not to poke herself with them. Placing them on the nightstand beside her, she snuggled into the soft guest bed. She pulled the covers over her nose and gave a sigh.

Maybe after a night's good sleep she could search for her purpose in the world of Amestris, and maybe even a way to get back to her own world. She was starting to have mixed feelings on returning though. Would she still be herself or somebody else? Would Sasuke still be out to get her?

Sakura left her thoughts to rest and layed her head down on her pillow. All she hoped for was a night without any nightmares of her death.

**Woohoo! Second chapter! Also, I'll be adding chapter titles at the top from now on. The first chapter was supposed to be named 'Arriving in Amestris'. Thanks for the reviews, they really helped me write this chapter! XD**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Surprise Ticket and Surprise Babies!**

**I'm trying to plot out the way this story will go so far. I'll give you a hint to my idea: It has to do with something that will change the Elric Brothers' lives. (I know it isn't much, lol.) Anyways, there WILL be a sequel to this story after I am finished with this one so be prepared! I have quite a few more chapters before that, but I'm just warning you! On to the story!**

_Konoha~_

A low voice spoke to a hord of people, a grave feeling present in the air. A couple sobbed in a corner next to a blonde-haired boy and a silver-haired Jonin. Their own strange hair colors stood out in the crowd; red for the man and white for the woman.

"S-she's missing?" The woman croaked, pulling the man closer to her shivering body. The man refused to sob, yet tears still fell from his eyes. "That is what he said."

Kakashi had enough decency to leave his little orange book in his back pocket, though it was hard to break a habit. Two of his teammembers going missing had shocked him. The fact that it was Sasuke AND Sakura surprised him even more. He wasn't about to say it aloud, but he had a bad feeling that Sakura wasn't 'missing'.

Naruto had a sour look on his face, but not to look mean or uncaring. He was trying to stop himself from crying. Sasuke, his brother. Sakura, the girl he loved or his sister; truthfully, he didn't care as long as she was by his side. Kakashi was almost like a father to him, but even comforting words from him wouldn't soothe the agonizing pain in his heart.

He took a glance at Sakura's parents, the couple crying, and instantly felt guilty. Such strong emotions should belong to them, not him. Naruto gazed at the two coffins on the platform by a priest, a frown spreading on his lips. A bundle of white roses were placed on the lid of Sakura's coffin, yet only two red roses rested on Sasuke's.

"The only clue we have is a pool of blood on the only street out of Konoha." The priest closed his eyes, feeling the pain of the words he was about to speak. "The blood was conformed to be Haruno Sakura's, and that there was so much blood that she couldn't have possibly lived from such a major case of blood loss."

Sakura's mother bawled even harder, pressing her tear-streaked face into her husband's shoulder. He patted her back, sniffing back a sob himself. He stroked her hair with a shakey hand, bringing his chin up onto her head. "Shhh... shhh.. sweetheart."

Kakashi put his head down in remorse for Sakura. He didn't know the little pink-haired girl as well as Naruto or her parents, but she was still his genin. She held a special place in his heart, a fatherly love one may say.

The sapphire blue eyes of Naruto bled red. The three whisker marks on each of his cheeks turned into crude lines and his teeth sharpened. His long fingernails dug into his palm, puncturing his skin and drawing blood.

"Sasuke... you killed her didn't you!" He howled into the sky. "You killed her and left like the bastard you are!" Kakashi placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to get him to calm down. The gesture seemed to add more fuel to the fire.

"Sakura is dead because of you and you don't even have the **BALLS **to stay in Konoha and face what you did! Where'd you hide her body!" Naruto's body began to be covered in the red vicious chakra of the Kyuubi. Kakashi hissed in pain, pulling his hand back before it was completely burnt.

The Kyuubi-controlled Naruto walked up to Sasuke's coffin, kicked it over, and ran away from the funeral. As it began to rain, Kakashi couldn't help but think of what he saw on his face.

_'Was the Kyuubi-controlled Naruto... crying?'_

_Dublin~_

Sakura gave a yawn as she stretched her arms behind her head. Flipping her legs over the side of her guest bed, she stood up and turned on the lights. Sitting down at a small vanity in the corner of the room, she brushed her hair until all the knots from sleeping were gone. Once she was finished, she strode to the other side of the room and flung the curtains over a window open.

The sun hadn't even risen yet.

Sakura sweat-dropped and snuck quietly out of her room. She didn't want Izumi or Sig to wake up because she made too much noise. Each stair she stepped on sounded as if was going to creak, but she stood lightly enough to where it made no sound.

"Okay, we just have to leave here and go to Rush Valley to see Winry. She's going to be so _pissed _at me."

"Just be nice Edward. She may decide not to fix your armor this time."

Sakura peered out of the stairway, spying on Edward and Alphonse as they talked. Her soft green eyes followed their every move, from them creeping up to the door to them walking down the street. She felt a little stalker-ish for watching them walk from the house, but she just wanted to make sure they were safe.

**'Whoa whoa whoa. Whoa. Safe? When did you start caring about that blonde midget's safety? I mean, that Alphonse guy seems pretty nice but Ed is just a ball of loserness mixed with a dash of annoyingness!'**

_'First of all, loserness and annoyingness aren't real words. Second, isn't it my duty to watch the guests of Izumi's household while she is asleep?'_

**'...'**

_'Yeah, I went there.'_

Sakura was about to turn around and walk out the door when she felt a person's presence behind her. She hoped to Kami-sama that it wasn't Izumi. Kami seemed to hate her more than ever before.

"Well.." Izumi started, her eyes still glazed from sleep. "I think we should make them some breakfast before they catch the train to Rush Valley. Help me boil some eggs, Sakura." Sakura wanted to question her what a train was, but she kept her mouth shut. It was no use to ask Izumi anything when she was set on a task.

Resisting a sigh, Sakura set to work.

_Dublin Train Station~_

Edward Elric; one may call him idiotic or a brat, but there was one thing that absolutely defined him. Short-tempered. Alphonse Elric wasn't as... tempermental as his older brother. At the moment, however, Al was steaming mad.

Why you ask?

Ed had gotten them a ticket to a train that left in **five** minutes. **Five** minutes to pick up their pre-bought tickets, round up all their belongings (which wasn't much), and make it to the train deployment station.

"Brother, is your head on straight?" Alphonse hissed. The echoing sound of his armor made his voice extremely eeire. Edward turned around, an uncaring glint in his eyes. "I can assure you that my head is indeed on straight Al."

Al stomped even harder in the crowd, if that was possible. A path opened up for the two, either by civillians that didn't want to get squished or people going with the flow. Edward didn't even seem to realize the strange behavior of the other pedestrians.

"W-wait! Edward-san! Alphonse-san!" The two brothers turned to see Sakura and Izumi standing at the entrance gates, the pinkette waving a boxed bento. They walked up to the two girls, Al still impatient.

"Edward-san, here." Sakura held out the boxed bento, a tight black bow keeping it shut. Izumi smiled at them, patting Sakura's shoulder in pride. "Sakura here made the whole bento by herself. It was her idea for this dish too!" Sakura blushed in embarrasment, rolling her eyes at the compliment.

"That isn't tru- Izumi-san?" Sakura stared at the small white ticket that Izumi had thrust into Sakura's hands. The little printed letters spelled, 'Rush Valley'. "I-Izumi-san... what is this?" She stared into Izumi's brown eyes with confusion.

"It is your ticket to Rush Valley. You're going with the Elric brothers to see Winry Rockbell, an automail mechanic. I think you could learn a lot from her. Good luck." With that Izumi left three dumbstuck teens in her dust. "By the way, your train is leaving."

Sure enough, the train they were planning on riding was already starting to move. Al scooped up both Ed and Sakura, bolting for the train. Sakura hung onto his metalic neck while Edward only crossed his arms.

A door was open on the side of the train, giving Alphonse the chance to leap into it. The three of them landed with a thud, making a dent in the flooring. "Ugh..." Sakura muttered, the ticket for the train still clenched in her fist. The bento Sakura had made for Ed was currently underneath the train tracks.

_'What a waste of a bento...'_

**'Yeah, you made it with... **_**love**_**... right?'**

_'Shut up Inner.'_

Al and Edward held both of their tickets up, walking into the main seating area of the train. The pinkette shook her head, pulled her body up, and followed suit.

The already seated passengers stared as they walked down the aisle. Sakura shrunk under the gazes, tightening her grip on her ticket. Handing in their passes to ride the train, they sat into one of the many empty booths.

"So..." Al's voice beamed. "I never really got to introduce myself properly. I'm Alphonse Elric." He held his metal hand out, waiting for Sakura to shake it. She raised her hand, a little confused on what he was doing. He grabbed her hand and shook it heartily.

Sakura smiled at Alphonse. He seemed like someone she would get along well with. Ed 'pfft'ed and tossed his head to the side defiantly. His lips were in a childish pout, obviously trying to make her forget about him. Instead, she was more intrested.

"And you're Edward Elric right? It's nice to meet you too." she said, smiling brightly. Edward nodded, giving her only a slight glance. The way he was acting was... familiar. It wasn't the kind of familiar she liked to remember.

Edward pulled out a tiny book, which looked a bit like a diary, and began to read. Al played with the tablecloth on the booth's table. Sakura rested her chin on her crossed arms.

_'I'm already bored. Why did Izumi have to buy me a ticket?'_

**'Because she loves us?'**

_'No.'_

**'Because she likes to torture us?'**

_'Maybe, but probably not.'_

**'Oh! I know! She wanted us to see what a real train looks like! Maybe she saw your face this morning!'**

Sakura inwardly smacked her Inner silly. _'Don't make me laugh. That's the dumbest idea I've ever heard.' _Her Inner gave her two thumbs up, smirking as she did so.

**'Yeah, but I am you so you came up with this dumb idea too!'**

She tried her best not to slam her head against the table before her. Her fingers on he left hand twitched, her right still wrapped tightly in bandages. The broken

Alphose grabbed her right hand, careful not to jostle it too much. He examined the bandages that she used and the small precise knot she tied to keep it together. Even Edward was impressed with her self-made cast.

"What happened to your hand?"

Sakura looked up to the armored boy. She was sure if he could show emotion on his mask, he would be concerned. Laughing lightly, Sakura gently pulled her broken hand from Alphonse's own hand. "I punched somebody and my knuckles split. Apparently, in the end, I fractured a few parts of my hand." She rubbed her wounded hand, remembering her arrival into Amestris.

"That's wacked." Ed muttered, closing his book. "Why the hell would you punch somebody to the point of where you break your hand?" His golden eyes met her own.

Narrowing her eyes into a glare, Sakura huffed. Her lips formed a pout as she tried to think of something to say. You couldn't just go around saying, 'Hey, guess what! I almost got raped the other day!' and not be thought of as loony.

"...I felt like it." The Elric brothers sweatdropped at her lame excuse. Sakura smiled, sticking out her tongue at the two. "By the way, who is Winry?"

Aphonse replied to her question in a sing-song voice. "Winry is a childhood friend of ours. She's really smart and knows how to use a wrench." Edward snuck lower into the plush booth seats. His face was twisted with an emotion Sakura couldn't read. "Yeah, she knows exactly how to _use_ a wrench." Sakura had no idea what Edward meant by that, but she had a feeling that she would figure out once she met Winry.

"I'm going to sleep. Wake me up when we get to where we're going." And with that, Sakura set her head on her crossed arms and went to sleep.

_Rush Valley~_

"Wake up you lazy ass! We're in Rush Valley!" Sakura groaned, fighting off her 'attacker' with her broken hand. Her eyes were still closed as she tried to get another minute of sleep. The nudging in her side didn't stop.

Sighing, Sakura forced herself up and off of the train. She shielded her eyes from the light, walking inbetween Alphonse and Edward. The trio headed down a street filled with people. Shopkeepers everywhere were shoving automail parts into people's faces, proving to be quite aggravating. Alphonse stopped in front of what seemed to be a little shop.

The little sun cover read, 'Artelier Garfiel' in fancy purple lettering. A small purple rose decorated the side of the cover. Al opened the door slowly, peeking his head through the door.

"Ah... Winry? Are you here?" The slam of something heavy came from behind a door in the shop. The door opened to reveal a slim blonde-haired blue eyed girl who seemed to be either 15 or 16. Her hair was pulled back in a bandana, only two pieces of hair sticking out at the sides.

"Al? Is that you?" Winry ran up, jumping onto the tall armored boy. "AL! How are you?" Her long blonde hair swayed as she ran. Edward braced himself for a hug, closing his eyes as he did so. When no weight came to his body, he opened his eyes. She was currently hugging Alphonse to death, if such a thing could happen to a suit of armor.

Sakura stared at Winry, her mouth open with shock. Her light green eyes started to brim with unshed tears. She tried to get the words to come out of her mouth, but her throat felt as if it was being constricted.

_'I-ino-chan?'_

**'I don't think so, Outer.'**

Edward coughed into one of his gloved hands, grabbing Winry's attention. Her bright blue eyes shone with happiness when she saw him. Pulling herself off of Alphonse, she leapt into Ed's arms.

"EDWARD! Hi!" Edward strugged to hold up to flailing girl in his arms. She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder, giggling as she did so. "I haven't seen you guys in a while! What's so important that you would come without writing me a letter?"

Alphonse gave a soft stalled laugh. Edward let Winry go, giving Al a sharp nudge in the side. Al stuttered a bit, trying not to show his fear.

"W-well, Edward here needs a little 'check-up'" Al coughed into his metal fist, nudging Ed back. Sakura just stood awkwardly, not sure what was going on. Winry's expression went from to delighted to serious. Her brilliant blue eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean by... 'check-up'?" Edward backed up, waving his hands in a defensive manner. Alphonse was doing the same, shielding Sakura behind him.

"I.. I kinda broke my auto-mail during a fight." He mustered up enough courage to come up front with his problem. Winry pulled a wrench out of thin air, throwing it with deadly accuracy. The heavy tool his Edward in the center of his forehead, knocking him to the ground.

The blonde girl's face was red with rage, her fists clenched. Al and Sakura helped the blonde midget back to his feet, feeling a little pity for the hurt boy. Sakura instantly knew what Ed had meant on the train.

"You broke your auto-mail! Sit down! Now!" Winry demanded, smacking a small chair behind her. The two helping Ed up dragged him into the chair. Sakura was surprised the three were friends. She was even more surprised that Edward was still awake after the brutal wrench attack. "W-winry, please be nice..." Al whispered.

Winry's eyes softed as she gazed at the no-longer-existent boy. She gave a small yet sorrowful smile. "I'll try my best. You know as well as I do how painful this will be for him." She looked over at Sakura's still form. "You may want to take her out of here, she may not be able to handle what he'll be going through.

Sakura shook herself out of her thoughts, giving Winry a glare that would melt ice. Her teeth ground together with fury.

**'She is SO lucky that I can't come out and beat her ass without your permission!'**

"I can handle pain. I'm not weak..." She traced the scabbed slice wound on her neck. "Not anymore... It isn't even my own pain I'll be facing. Don't judge me before you know me."

Alphonse and Winry shivered from her ice-cold remark, promising themselves never to call her weak. Seeing that they got what she was saying, Sakura smiled and sat beside Edward.

"If you don't mind... COULD SOMEONE FREAKING FIX MY AUTO-MAIL ALREADY!" He screamed, punching the air around him. Winry sighed, taking out a wrench and a hammer.

"Let's get started."

Sakura watched though the whole thing. The removal of his broken auto-mail, the repair of his auto-mail, and the re-attachment of his auto-mail. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as the prostetic limbs were placed on his body once again.

He writhed in agony in the chair he was seated in. His nose was scrunched up and his bottom lip was in-between his teeth. He fought hard not to scream, but the pain was just too much for the little 15 year old.

"AUUUGGGHHH!"

His yell echoed through the streets of Rush Valley, ringing in the eardrums of every resident there. His knuckles turned a ghostly white as he increased his death grip on the arms of the chair. Sakura wiped the sweat from his brow, petting his head.

"Geez, you sounded like you were giving birth." She muttered, wiping his forehead with a rag. Edward managed to crack a smile while Winry and Alphonse chuckled at her joke. Sakura stopped petting his hair, bringing her hand back into her lap. "Good thing you weren't. Considering your size right now, that would be one _tiny_ baby."

**Ooooh! It's a sort of cliffy! Review how you want Ed to act; If you don't, I'll make things go MY way. Hehehe... Plus, I want to thank InnerCookie for her offer! I'll take you up on that right now! What should happen after this? I've seen this happen in a few fanfics, but I'm not sure if it is really in the anime or manga. Anyways, review your faces off! I'll be working on the 4th chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Propositions and Bed Time Stories**

_Konoha~_

The spiked blonde hair of Naruto stuck up at odd angles. His hair was flat at the back, showing that he had slept with wet hair. By now, the soft rays of the Konoha sun were reaching their peak. The teenage boy rubbed his watery eyes with the back of his hand. A dull ache in his spine told him that he had spent the night in the forest.

Pulling himself up, he massaged the tense muscles in his back. Napping on the hard-packed earth never really helped people get over spinal issues. He cracked his neck before standing up. The large trees around him reminded him painfully of the Forest of Death. The fact that he hadn't been eaten alive by zombie leeches yet rivaled with that idea.

"Damn..." The memories of Sakura's death were still fresh in his mind. The blood... oh the blood... He couldn't get it out of his head. Her blood stained on the road, soaking into the stone's cracks. "S-Sakura-chan..."

Sasuke. The bastard. He didn't even leave her body for her to have a proper burial. Was he _that_ pitiful to _deny_ his own teammate an _honorable _death? That raven-haired teen was not the person he once knew. He wasn't his brother.

He was his _enemy._

A brother would never take away a girl you loved. An enemy wouldn't hesitate. A brother wouldn't leave you in a grief-stricken state. An enemy would destroy your world while you were down.

The raven had shown enough signs that he was now the enemy of him. Naruto would not rest until the enemy was abolished. He would not be at peace until Sasuke had felt the pain he had; physically or mentally, Naruto didn't much care.

Thoughout the process, he had realized that not even he was the same. His personality had taken a turn for the worst, making him become almost as cold as Sasuke was.

Adding a bit of chakra to his feet, Naruto pushed himself off of a branch. Then another. And another. He began to move faster and faster through the thick underbrush. Spindly twigs scrapped at his neck and hands. The wounds closed almost instantly.

The blue chakra around his feet pulsed red as he landed on each arm of the trees. The marks on his cheeks grew more jagged over time, to the point where they looked like lightning bolts. His anger expanded from his heart, tainting his mind and his soul.

He was going to find Sasuke, whether the coward wanted to be found or not.

_Unknown Area~_

"Hmm... so the Kyuubi has left the village?"

"Affirmative."

"Excellent. Capture him. I have plans for him."

Shocked gasps chorused in the room. A 'What the fuck is he smoking?' came from farther down the long line of ninjas.

"P-plans? What exactly do you have in mind, Leader-sama?"

The man stood up, his silver eyes shining in the dim candlelight of the room. The light danced off of the numerous piercings decorating his pale face. His bright orange hair seemed to catch aflame as he leaned into his desk.

"The Kyuubi wants revenge on the Uchiha Survivor. What could be easier than luring him in with such a promise?"

The man smirked, his face finally showing how twisted him mind really was.

"We will give the boy what he wants. In return, we will get what we want. It's a win-win situation."

Almost all of the members were in agreement. The long ponytail of the Uchiha Murderer sunk lower into the small of his back. His bright white teeth clenched with fury. On the outside, he seemed the same. On the inside, he was a wreck.

_'Sasuke... what have you done?'_

"Dismised. Itachi and Kisame, stay."

The excess members left to their respective rooms, leaving the Uchiha and Kisame to face Pein. The emotions that had briefly passed Itachi's face were washed away. Kisame seemed indifferent about the circumstances they were in.

"You two, track down the Kyuubi boy. He should be around the Sound Village by noon. Meet him halfway and convince him to come with you. Don't dissapoint me."

Pein's evil smirk grew wider as Itachi and Kisame exited the room. His plan for peace was slowly coming together. There was only one obstacle in the way, however.

The orange-haired man turned to the figure lounging in the shadows. His identity was hidden, but Pein had become accustomed to the man's chakra.

"Madara. Things are falling into place. Soon, the world shall rest in our hands."

The 'Leader' of Akatsuki failed to see the smirk underneath the orange mask the man wore.

"Yes. By the time the last of the nine demons is captured, our plan will be in affect."

_Outskirts of Sound~_

A blonde-haired boy clasped his hand over his knees, bending over to wheeze out a breath. He had been running non-stop for at least an hour. The amount of land he had traveled was staggering for a Genin; for an S-classed Missing Nin, not so much.

His orange jumpsuit had been cracked open a smidge, letting in some much needed cool air. The tanned flesh of his neck was slick with perspiration. He let his weak body crumple to the ground, enjoying the soft grass tickling his nose and the wind playing with his messy hair.

Suddenly, a crunching sound echoed through the ground. The fragile grass was being crushed underneath the worn soles of a ninja's shoes. The gentle pealing of bells was like music to his ears.

Shadows washed over his body as two nin grew closer to his body. Naruto didn't care if he had died by their mystery ninja's hand; if that happened, he could see Sakura.

The Kyuubi caged inside him thrashed with rage at the though of his death. Death for Naruto meant death for him. He wasn't going to let his host throw away both of their lives to petty ninja.

Meanwhile, the two ninja had came to an abrupt stop beside Naruto's relaxed form. His erratic heartbeat had calmed down from the extensive excersise he had gone through. The shorter of the two ninja carefully pulled Naruto into a sitting position.

"Sasuke?" he whispered. His eyes were still blurry from them being closed. The man helping him up shook his head, talking softly.

"No," the man muttered, his voice like silk, "I am Sasuke's brother, Itachi. I have heard about your... goal to put him at his deathbed." Naruto nodded, shaking his head to clear his hair of dirt.

"Yeah... I want that bastard dead. What about it?"

By now, the blue man had spoke up.

"We are here to offer you a... a proposition of sorts. We will help you with your revenge on Sasuke if you join our ranks."

This perked Naruto's childish interest. Deep down, Naruto was still the boy who wanted to become Hokage. He was still the little blonde who wanted to be noticed more than anything.

"Your ranks... What exactly are your ranks?"

Kisame's lips pulled upwards, revealing rows of deadly sharp teeth. His small round eyes seemed to glimmer with bloodlust.

"We are the criminal organization, Akatsuki; a large number of S-class Missing nin are part of this group. Around 9 or 10 I'd say."

Naruto gave the smirking man a smirk of his own.

"How could I possibly say no?"

"I think this is going to be the begining of a beautiful partnership, kid."

And with that, the trio set on their way for Ame. The Uchiha's silence was typical, but on the way to the base he was quieter than usual.

_'Sasuke, I kept you alive because I couldn't bare to kill you. Now, you have made yourself known to the Akatsuki. I am afraid that you will not make it out of this ordeal alive.'_

A single tear rolled down his cheek. Thankfully, he was behind the two others, so they didn't see him cry. He loved Sasuke with all that was left of his heart. One day in the future, he had planned for Sasuke to kill him. That was when Sasuke was stronger of course.

He would tell him the truth of the Uchiha Massacre just before life left him dead. Sasuke would finally be at peace. But now, fate hand its hands around his neck. He couldn't control the way things went anymore.

The world was out of his hands, and into another's.

_Sound, Orochimaru's Base~_

Sasuke stood in front of the Snake Sannin, listening to his every word. Thousands of ancient scrolls were placed in piles around the room they were in. Three others were in the room with him.

A girl with strange red hair stared at his exposed chest, her cheeks flushed. Her glasses flashed, hiding her brilliant red eyes behind the light. Her crush on the Uchiha was obvious.

Beside her was a white-haired man. His teeth were sharp, just like Kisame's, and his personality matched. A large and very familiar sword was strapped to his back, the weight not seeming to hinder his movements at all.

Lastly was an pale orange-haired man. He said nothing to anyone. He was silent and mysterious, never showing an emotion other than a slight smile every now and then. Sasuke had heard rumors from the red-head about his tempermental issues, but he didn't really believe her.

"Sasuke, Karin, Juugo, and Suigetsu. From this day forward, you are now Team Hebi. You will complete missions together until you all are strong enough to fend for yourselves. You all are only beginning ninja, so you must do as I say."

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama."

"Kabuto will show you to your rooms. Remember the base frontwards and backwards. We will be leaving by next week to another hideout in order to remain incognito."

The silver-haired medic opened the door out of the room for the four, leading them deeper into the base's tunnels. Sasuke sighed, running a hand through his black locks.

_'I need power NOW. Itachi will have absolutely heard of Sakura's death by this time. He will come looking for me. I WILL kill him.'_

The smirk on Sasuke's face grew maddening, frightening even Kabuto with it ferocity.

_'What I have gone through will not be in vain.'_

_Ame, Akatsuki Base~_

Naruto shivered as a cold draft entered the Leader's office. The candles illuminating the room were slowly burning out, leaving them in almost complete darkness. Warth from the flames reached his cheeks, but his heart still stayed frozen.

"It is Naruto, yes? I'm interested in why you are targeting the Uchiha boy. Care to tell?" The playful tone in Pein's voice chipped at his mind. He was starting to feel worse and worse from accepting the deal with Kisame.

"I'm after him because of my friend... Sakura-chan..." He broke off, not wanting to choke while talking. "That bastard... He killed her, not even leaving her body for her burial."

Pein nodded, trying not to smirk as he felt hate radiate from the boy. He was going to be useful to the organization, useful indeed.

"We will help you go against the Uchiha. You can't possibly win without proper training. I will have my members train you, for a price of course."

Naruto slammed his fist against the desk, knocking over the few remaining candles.

"I agree, dammit! Just teach me so I can kill that bastard!" He growled. His canines started to lengthing, poking into his bottom lip.

The Leader laughed, a light-hearted tone to his chuckle. His bright silver eyes were half-lidded, signalling that the conversation was doing nothing but boring him.

"Of course. Kisame, take him to his room. He will start lessons in the morning, 6 a.m. sharp."

_Rush Vallery: Artelier Garfiel~_

The tension in the air rolled in thick waves. If awkward situations could kill, even Alphonse would be dead. Edward's deep golden eyes melted into Sakura's, burning her to the core. She didn't mind; she was more amused than anything.

"Are you calling me small!" He screamed. "I'll kill you!"

Sakura snorted, holding her head high in the air. She watched him like a hawk through her thick eyelashes.

"That isn't going to help you with your height problems, now is it? Besides, stating the obvious isn't against the law here is it?"

Her comment sent his mind reeling. He was furious, no, he was flat out pissed. NO ONE calls EDWARD ELRIC, the elder of the Elric brothers, short!

"I'll have you know, I was the tallest in my class!"

"You must have failed a few times, huh?"

"Wait, what! No! Screw you Pinky!"

"In your dreams, Midget!"

"That's totally perverted!"

"Ha! You didn't say you weren't a midget!"

Al held up a small board, Sakura and Edward's names scribbles crudely at the top. The hand writing reminded her of that of a child's. In thick white chalk was a little one under Sakura and a big fat zero under Edward.

Sakura's smirk grew, if that was possible.

"I'll get you back for this, Sakura!"

"Of course, Edward-san. If only you were tall enough to say that to my face."

Winry giggled, nudging Alphonse with her elbow. Her thin lips were pulled into a bright smile, but her bright blue eyes hinted a devilish plan. The youngest Elric shivered at her expression.

"Those two... are absolutely adorable together!" She squealed, holding her clasped hands to her face. She was on cloud nine, imagining all of the ways she could get the two as a couple. "Gah! I'm such a fangirl!"

Still trading comebacks, Edward and Sakura were running out of things to say. They had touched almost every insult for the opposite person that they could think of. Sakura watched Edward as he carefully chose his words.

"Hmm... um... You're so ugly, when you were born, your momma threw you out in the street and got fined for littering!"

"Uhh... You're so short, you're mistaken for a ruler!"

"...That makes no sense..."

"...Touche..."

Edward hit his head against his auto-mail arm, hoping to knock himself out in the process. Sadly for him, his skull was thicker than he thought. Sakura snickered, resting her own head on the armrest of the chair.

"I'm... tired."

"Me too."

"Tell me a bed-time story."

"The fuck?"

The blonde craned his neck to see Sakura staring at him expectantly. Her light pink hair was sprawled around, getting knotted in the process.

"Tell. Me. A. Be-"

"I'm not stupid! I know what you said!"

"You sure fooled me. Just stop being a lazy ass and tell me a story."

Edward sighed, placing his chin in his hand. He was listing all of the fairytales he had heard in his mind, trying to pick one. Finally, the perfect story came to mind.

"Ok. Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess who lived in a wonderful pal-." Sakura made a face of disgust, covering his mouth with her hand. Her green apple eyes narrowed as they gazed into his own.

"Enough with the goody-goody fairytales. Tell me a gorey one, or better yet, revamp this one a bit. Make it original."

"You're really picky, you know that?"

"I've been told."

"Right... anyways, Once upon a time there was a commoner girl..." He continued when Sakura nodded at him. "She was shunned throughout her town for her uselessness. Nobody knew anything that she was good at, so they just forgot about her."

Sakura's eyelids fluttered, showing how weary she really was. She nestled herself closer to his flesh arm, enjoying the warmth it provided.

"On a day just like this one, the girl was sleeping in one of the streets. She didn't have enough money to rent a house, so the alleys were her home. A boy her age found her passed out and took her in."

He paused for a breath, not noticing the stares Alphonse and Winry were giving him.

"He fed her until she couldn't eat any more, he gave her juice until she could not longer drink, and he let her sleep in his bed until she was no longer tired. The girl was grateful, asking the boy if there was anything she could do as payment for his kindness."

Sakura smiled. For a moment, Edward thought she was actually _pretty._ The feeling passed as soon as it came.

"The boy just smiled and gave the girl a hug. In the end, he said, 'There is nothing you could do that would pay me back for a kind act. The only way to pay for kindness is with kindness itself. All I ask is that you live with me, breathe with me, and love with me.' The two became the best of friends. The boy supported the girl who couldn't do anything herself."

His voice lowered to a whisper, trying not to wake the sleeping girl.

"When they were of age, the boy asked the girl for her hand in marriage. The girl said yes, and they lived happily ever after."

The little shop was quiet for what seemed like minutes until Winry screamed. She was hugging onto Al's metalic arm for dear life, blushing and rubbing her cheek against his arm.

"Awwww! That's so cute! I need a picture!"

The brothers sweat-dropped, tip-toeing out of the shop with Sakura in Edward's arms. The blonde girl had gone to get a camera, leaving the exit wide open.

Alphonse walked beside Edward, watching his brother carry the teenage girl with little to no difficulty.

"Where do we go now?"

"Not sure. Let's just get out of here before Winry realizes we left."

**Yep. Winry is a fangirl of EdSaku! I couldn't have her liking Edward, so I'm going to add in little hints of AlphonseXWinry mixed in. :D Quite a bit of fluff in this chapter, so I'm going to lay off the romance for a bit and build up on the plot. If you hadn't noticed, I made the bed time story myself. Sucked huh? Lol, I'm already working on the next chapter, so be ready!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Major Plot Devolopment Issue people! I've had a sudden inspiration due to actually watching the anime!~ :o The first one, not Brotherhood. I have an amazingly awesome idea, or at least I think I do, and will be redoing ALL of the chapters. That's right, I said all. The first part of the first chapter will stay the same, but anything after that will be wiped clean and changed to my liking. ^_^ Please wait patiently for the new chapters. ALSO, I've been working on a 'one-shot' for EdSaku. It may go on to be a multi-fic if it comes out right! I'll try and keep you guys updated on how it's coming along! PS: It's based off of a picture on DeviantART called: EdSaku: I'm Listening. Check it out, it's really cute!**


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